Oregon vs. LSU – Week 1 Recap

To say that the Oregon Ducks played poorly against LSU in their season opener last weekend would be a huge understatement.

The first week of the college football season is always filled with lopsided games, but this wasn’t supposed to be one of them.

Oregon vs. LSU – Week 1 Recap

Oregon fans were left in disbelief as the “Eugene Machine” struggled to get on the rails offensively during its 40-27 defeat on Saturday, in a game that wasn’t as close as the final would indicate.

Turnovers were the storyline, as the Tigers racked up 20 points off turnovers, including two back-to-back TDs in the third quarter alone to finally put the game out of reach.

But take nothing away from a very good LSU defensive front who was also able to contain Oregon’s potent ground game for the most part, which made the Ducks pass more than they wanted, resulting in 54 attempts by quarterback Darron Thomas. Simply too many for a run-first offense to be effective.

The Ducks did however end up with 335 total yards, but a revamped offensive line struggled to hold its own letting down running back LaMichael James who struggled much of the game and finished with just 54 yards and a score.

By and large, Oregon was humiliated in this game, and will need to get back to last year’s strategy if they want to contend with the SEC. Although the Ducks will likely win the Pac-12, a possible National Championship match up against an SEC opponent could derail their hopes for a national title.

The Ducks have all the weapons to compete at the skill positions, but must get better in the trenches.

This weekend’s game against the visiting Nevada Wolf Pack, will set the tone for the Ducks entire season.